First of all, an overview of related US background art is given in the following table, in which the US patent number is mentioned in the first column, the title/description of the patent is mentioned in the second column, the inventor is mentioned in the third column, and the publication date is mentioned in the fourth column.
T104,801Vibrator Mass actuatorRozycki,Nov. 6,DesignMarek L.19843,159,233Seismic TransducerClynch, F.Dec. 1,Construction19643,262,507Driving and Extraction ofHansen, F.Jul. 26,Piles and/or Encasing1966Structures3,329,930Marine vibrationCole, J. RJul. 4,Transducer19673,384,868Marine Vibrator DeviceBrown, G. L.May 21,19683,482,646Marine Vibrator DevicesBrown, G. L.Dec. 9,19693,529,681Hydraulically ControlledBerrie, E. G.Sep. 22,Vibro-Hammer19703,704,651Free Piston Power SourceJohn J. KupkaDec. 5,19723,745,885Hydraulic VibratorFair, Delbert W.Jul. 17,19733,934,673Vibrator Systems forSilverman, DanielJan. 27,Generating Elastic Waves1976in the Earth4,106,586Hydraulic VibratorStafford, Jay H.Aug. 15,19784,178,838Oil Porting System forStafford, Jay H.Dec. 18,Dual Cylinder Vibrator19794,143,736Seismic TransducerFair, Delbert W.Mar. 13,Construction19794,248,324Seismic Vibrator andMifsud, Joseph F.Feb. 3,Method for Improving the1981output of a SeismicVibrator4,314,365Acoustic Transmitter andPeterson,Feb. 2,Method to produceClifford W.1982essentially longitudinal,Acoustic Waves4,442,755Power Stage Servo ValveRozycki,Apr. 17,for a Seismic VibratorMarek L.19844,608,675Land Seismic Source MethodChelminski,Aug. 26,and ApparatusStephen V.19864,650,008Pile Driver and ExtractorSimson, DionizyMar. 17,19874,675,563Reciprocating Linear MotorGoldowsky,Jun. 23,Michael P.19874,658,930Vibrator for SeismicBird, James M.Apr. 21,Geophysical Prospecting19874,785,430Hydraulic Vibrator withCole, Jack H.Nov. 15,Wide Dynamic Range19884,845,996Test System for CaissonsBermingham,Jul. 11,and PilesPatrick19895,038,061Linear Actuator/MotorOlsen, John H.Aug. 6,19915,090,485Pile Driving using aPomonik,Feb. 25,Hydraulic ActuatorGeorge M.19926,323,568Electromagnetic VibratorZabar, NahumNov. 27,and Pump including same20016,351,089Control System for aIbuki, YasuoFeb. 26,Linear Vibration Motor20026,653,753Linear MotorKawano,Nov. 25,Shinichiro20036,765,318Linear Driving DeviceSawada, KiyoshiJul. 20,2004.6,977,474Control System for aUeda, MitsuoDec. 20,Linear Vibration Motor20057,005,810Motor Driving ApparatusUeda, MitsuoFeb. 28,20067,049,925Linear ActuatorKawano,May 23,Shinichiro20067,071,584Linear MotorKawano,Jul. 4,Shinichiro20067,148,636Motor Drive ControlUeda, MitsuoDec. 12,Apparatus20067,151,348Motor Driving ApparatusUeda, MitsuoDec. 19,2006
The most popular use of back and forth oscillating weight is for seismic purposes. Those oscillators induce pressure or shear waves into the ground, having 2-1,000 millisecond time period duration. The seismic oscillators were specially developed for geophysics use. The output has to be applied for a short time, having clear sinusoidal shape. As the duty time is short, the design does not have to take care of the centering of the weight along the displacement zone, not for the energy consumption, nor for the heat produced.
The disadvantages of the seismic oscillator as a production tool are high energy consumption, a lot of heat production, a need for a very complicated control system, a short duty time, no option for asymmetric forces, no option for alternating active “left” and active “right” forces, no option for rectangular-shaped forces, and no option for immediate stop.    U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,233 Dec. 1, 1964 by F. Clynch, and    U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,930 Jul. 4, 1967 by J. R. Cole, and    U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,868 May 21, 1968 by G. L. Brown, and    U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,646 Dec. 9, 1969 by G. L. Brown, and    U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,885 Jul. 17, 1973 by Fair, and    U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,673 Jan. 27, 1976 by Silverman, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,586 Aug. 15, 1978 by Stafford, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,838 Dec. 18, 1979 by Stafford, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,736 Mar. 13, 1979 by Fair, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,324 Feb. 3, 1981 by Mifsud, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,365 Feb. 2, 1982 by Petersen, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,755 Apr. 17, 1984 by Rozycki, and    U.S. Pat. No. T104,801 Nov. 6, 1984 by Rozycki, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,675 Aug. 26, 1986 by Cheimiski, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,930 Apr. 21, 1987 by Bird, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,430 Nov. 15, 1988 by Coleare all related to the developments and improvements of the seismic vibrators. All those patents use forth and back accelerated weight to produce a sinus-shaped force. This force is introduced to the ground in order to build up seismic waves.
The disadvantages of the above-described apparatuses, and methods, as seen in view of a general purpose, useful, productive tool are:                They have no capacity to produce rectangular force, nor asymmetric forces.        They do not recover driving energy.        They are heavy relative to the produced force.        They do not have immediate stop.        They do not have emergency stop.        They do not have a way to detect out-of-range weight position.        They do not have a way to prevent out-of-range weight position.        They do not have the capacity to switch from a stronger force to the “left” to a stronger force to the “right”.        They are only capable of very short time continuously running.            U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,089 B1 Feb. 26, 2002 by Ibuki, and    U.S. Pat. No. 6,977,474 B2 Dec. 20, 2005 by Ueda, and    U.S. Pat. No. 7,005,810 B2 Feb. 28, 2006 by Ueda, and    U.S. Pat. No. 7,148,636 B2 Dec. 12, 2006 by Ueda, and    U.S. Pat. No. 7,151,348 B1 Dec. 19, 2006 by Uedaare all related to the control systems for a linear motor. The target of those patents is to run the linear motor in such a way that the last will produce an accurate sinus force wave having the capacity to sweep the frequency.
The disadvantages of the above-described apparatuses, and methods, as seen in view of a general purpose, useful, productive tool are:                They are complicated, delicate, expensive, and need a lot of maintenance and special care.        They have no capacity to control asymmetric force.        They do not have the capacity to recover driving energy.        They do not have the capacity to control immediate stop.        They do not have a way to prevent out-of-range weight position.        They do not have the capacity to control switching from a stronger force to the “left” to a stronger force to the “right”.            U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,507 Jul. 26, 1966 by Hansen, and    U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,681 Sep. 22, 1970 by Berrié, and    U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,651 Dec. 5, 1972 by Kupka, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,008 Mar. 17, 1987 by Simson, and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,996 Jul. 11, 1989 by Bermingham, and    U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,485 Feb. 25, 1992 by Pomonikare related to pile driving devices.
A lot of efforts are invested in searching for a pile driver, or a pile vibrator, which will be based on the force produced by back and forth oscillating, accelerated weight. For the time being, none of the initiatives commercially functions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,996 Jul. 11, 1989 by Bermingham, which discloses actually one single stroke hammer, successfully functions as a load supply for pile loading test (Statnamic), and as a one single stroke pile driver for special off shore applications.
The apparatuses and methods which are described by U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,507 Jul. 26, 1966 by Hansen, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,681 Sep. 22, 1970 by Berrié, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,008 Mar. 17, 1987 by Simson, have no connection in between the position of the weight, and the pilot valve, or the driving pump. By short time of operation, the weight will exceed the designed oscillating zone, and hit the top, or the bottom, of the cylinder. The control of the weight movement is very difficult, and even non-realistic. Those apparatuses and methods have no capacity to produce asymmetric forces, and rectangular-shaped forces. They have no out-of-range stop, and no capacity to switch from a stronger “left” force to a stronger “right” force and vice versa, and they have high energy consumption.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,651 Dec. 5, 1972 by Kupka describes a free piston-based vibrator. The device has passive valves and therefore cannot recover driving energy, cannot produce a rectangular-shaped force, nor can have asymmetric forces. It has no way for immediate stop. The overall efficiency, by energy, and by the induced forces, of the device is low.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,485 Feb. 25, 1992 by Pomonik cannot be realized. There is no way to create out of back and forth weight accelerating a continue series of half sinus force waves having the same direction. Physics dictates that after a “left” force, there must be a “right” force, and so on. This apparatus and method does not include any connection in between the position of the weight, and the control of the servo valve—thus synchronization in between them both is virtually non available. This apparatus and method have no capacity to produce asymmetric forces, rectangular forces, active “left” to active “right” switching, energy recovery, out-of-range weight movement preventing, and immediate stop.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,563 Jun. 23, 1987 by Goldowski, and    U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,061 Aug. 6, 1991 by Olsen, and    U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,568 B1 Nov. 27, 2001 by Zabar, and    U.S. Pat. No. 6,653,753 B1 Nov. 25, 2003 by Kawano, and    U.S. Pat. No. 6,765,318 B2 Jul. 20, 2004 by Sawada, and    U.S. Pat. No. 7,049,925 B2 May 23, 2006 by Kawano, and    U.S. Pat. No. 7,071,584 B2 Jul. 4, 2006 by Kawanodisclose improvements of small electric driven linear motors or linear actuators, which have no capacity to produce asymmetric forces, rectangular-shaped forces, active “left” and active “right” switch, energy reuse, and immediate stop. They are all limited in power, and in duty cycle.